Question #8

Put entry of your choice.

For the entry of my choice, I want to talk about its unique ending. At the end of the story, there was a big fire in the mountain. It almost burned all the trees in the island. When Ralph escaped from the mountain and was crawling down, he saw the Navy. The Navy came to the island when they saw the big fire spreading. Ralph felt revealed, thinking that he is now safe from the war. Ralph really struggled a lot from the war that happened at the island. Boys were murdering each other and the fire also made him feel very stressful. It was like a war there at the beautiful island. So coming of Navy was a very relieving for Ralph. Moreover, the story sounded like it ended there. However, if you think closely, there is another conflict that Ralph has to face. The background of this story is when the World War I was going on. Maybe the Navy ship’s destination was the place where the war was going on. That means that Ralph and all the other boys were rescued by the war ship. Even though Ralph ended with the small war at the island, he now has to face the bigger war, which is the World War I. Ralph may think that he is now over with that sickening war, but he is actually involved in much bigger war. I think it was very clever for the author to make an ending like that since it leaves us readers some questions at the end. ‘What will happen to Ralph and Jack?’ questions like this will stick in my head for a long period of time.

Question #7

Are there any settings in this novel which you have found to be beautiful?

or disturbing? or memorable?

Describe these settings and comment on why they were meaningful to you.

The island where the pathetic drifted boys landed is absolutely stunning. William Golding described the island so beautifully in the novel. When I read about all the palm trees, shining sands, emerald sea water and pink rocks especially, I really wanted to go to that island for my summer vacation. I think whole island itself is so memorable to me. All the sea shells and lovely rocks are irresistibly attractive not only to me but all the other reader in the whole world. The island didn’t sound so big in the novel because teenage boys were able to climb the entire mountain, only spending couple of hours (or maybe only an hour). But tiny islands are sweet, too. It would have sound stranger if it was described as a humongous island. I can just imagine the little ‘uns, swimming under the green blue ocean, laughing and joking. It’s just like a paradise in dreams. I can’t really believe that the tragedy actually happed at this charming island. I think the author purposely created a pretty island like this to make the story ironic. It is really contrastive because the horrible and unforgettable murder occurred in a place so wonderful island like this. The author could have created a somber setting, but it was more interesting for readers with an ironic settings. I think it is one of the best backgrounds I have ever read in my whole entire life. I really liked reading a novel with a setting like this.

Question #6

Please choose one passage from the novel that is significant to you.

Why is this passage meaningful?

Please type it into one of your entries and comment on what you think about the passage.

““This is ridiculous. You know perfectly well you’ll only meet me down there- so don’t try to escape!” ….. ..“I’m warning you. I’m going to get angry. D’ you see? You’re now wanted. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island. Understand? We are going to have fun on this island! So don’t try it on, my poor misguided boy, or else-“ Simon found he was looking into a vast mouth. There was blackness within, a blackness that spread. “-Or else” said the Lord of the Flies, “we shall do you? See? Jack and Roger and Maurice and Robert and Bill and Piggy and Ralph. Do you. See?” Simon was inside the mouth. He fell down and lost conciseness.” (page 143, 144)

This passage was meaningful to me in many ways. First, it was actually first official dialogue of the Lord of the Flies. Previous, the Lord of the Flies appeared, but he basically talked to himself so this passage reveals the identity of him. Also, this tells us that the Lord of the Flies is the ‘evil one’. From reading this passage, readers can find out that the Lord of the Flies not only knows everyone in the island, but he can control them. When Simon talked with him, he threatens Simon that if Simon tries to escape (if he tries to tell anyone the truth), then he would kill him. If I was in Simon’s position, I would have frozen just like him. Simon face to faced the dark evil itself, so I can imagine how frightened he was. I don’t want to think about having a one o one meeting with the evil itself by myself. Simon eventually ends his life because he tried to tell everyone what the real evil was. I personally liked Simon so I was sad when he died. I think Simon was a very braze and righteous boy since he tried to reveal the truth regardless of the threats from the evil. I think he is so admirable boy. I wouldn’t have made the same choice if I were him. This passage was the most impressive passage of all to me because it was the point where all the problems were solved.

Question #5

What is the mood of this novel?

What happens?

How do the events of this novel make you feel?

The mood is this novel is dark. There’s no other word than ‘dark’ to describe the mood of this novel. At first, because of the stunning setting, I thought this novel will be a happy story, on the contrary of the previous novel I read, which is The Animal Farm. I should have realized the mood when Jack was eager to kill pigs! Anyways, the murdering of the teenagers shocked me a lot. I mean, they are younger than me, and they are murders? How can they be corrupted like that? I learned lots and lots of lessons throughout the book. I learned that controlling my temper is one of the most important elements in lives. I felt bad in several different situations as I read this novel. For example, when the boys mistreated Piggy just because he was fat, I was really angry. Piggy was actually the smartest kid out of all, but they just ignored him, judging the book by its cover. When Piggy conversed about their foolishness at the mountain, I was like “Yeah! Piggy! You’re the smartest kid. Ignore what they say, and just say what you want to say!” Actually, I think other readers felt the same when they were reading that part. I think Jack killed Piggy because Piggy was the one who always said what’s true. Everyone hates hearing what’s right, no? That’s why I felt blue of Piggy’s death. This novel really creates the dark force inside us. Even though it was a dark and gloomy book, I really liked William Golding (the author)’s idea.

Question #4

What is the climax of this novel?

What happens?

How do the events of this novel make you feel?

The climax of this story is when Jack kills Piggy. There is a point when he killed Simon too, but this event entirely turned Ralph’s perspective. Before this event occurred, Ralph too was power-hungered, selfish and prejudiced boy. He favored Jack and his choir since they were the strong body guards for him. Anyways, when Jack killed Piggy, Ralph himself has to make an essential decision. Ralph has to join the abominable Jack and his members, and if he does not join them, they will probably kill Ralph too. This is really the ‘point of no return’ in Ralph’s life. He is not sure if he can escape from the island or not, so he finally decides to follow Jack’s will in order to survive. I would have made the same choice if I was Ralph. Surviving is the crucial problem, and it’s very important for him to live so that he can go back to his normal life. Actually, this shocking event ruffled me a lot. I didn’t know that this novel has a dark climax like this. When I was reading this part, I got very frustrated. I felt sorry for Ralph (whom I didn’t really appreciate at first) at that point, and I was especially angry at Jack. I think this book has a very strong climax that really tells us something. It’s not the best climax I have read in my life, but I think the dark climax really hooked me into the novel once again.

Question #3

Who are the main characters in the novel?

Do you like them? Why or why not?

What is special about them?

What do they reveal about the universal human experience?

Main characters in the novel are Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack. I personally don’t like Ralph. It sounds like Ralph is the protagonist of the novel, but I have no interest in him. Even though he is the leader of the group, he didn’t listen to other people’s opinion. On the contrary, I really liked Piggy. In the story, Piggy came out to be the fat, annoying and useless boy. But from his dialogue, I can see that Piggy is actually the smart one. For example, when the boys tried to set fire, Piggy told them that they will burn the whole island. Also, he was the one who discovered the disappearance of the little boy. I really like Piggy, so I felt very uncomfortable when they murdered Piggy. Through out the whole book, I had pity on Piggy. Simon is one other character that I really liked. Simon was gentle and intelligent hard-worker. This novel killed two characters that I had favor, so this book is certainly not my best book of all. Jack is kind of antagonist of the novel. He is cruel, harsh and selfish boy. I didn’t know that a young boy can be corrupted that much. Actually, I recognized his cruelty when he worked that hard to kill a pig. Characters in the story revel a lot about universal human experience. They explain fairly well about our natural desire toward power. In the story, everyone wanted to gain control. Even though they had a leader, they choose their own way regardless of them. Since there’s no good leader, they all became greedy and selfish. From this novel, we can see what’s really inside our heart.

Question #2

Are there any current situations in the world that relate to the novel?

What are they, and how do they relate?

Does the novel shed any light on how current situations could be resolved for "fixed"?

There is no current war in the World, so I picked a non-fresh situation. I want to relate the World War I and World War II with The Lord of the Flies. At the end story, we can see that Ralph and other survived boys got involved in a bigger war. Ralph thought it will all go smoothly and peacefully since they are rescued. But the reality was different since they were shipped to someplace worse. The World War I and World War II are similar with this situation. After the World War I, the whole World blamed Germany. They demanded Germany to pay for all the damages caused by the war. Also, they didn’t let Germany to create their own army. When the World had this decision, they thought the war was over. They thought that the war will end with no more harms. But actually, they ended up with more serious result. Angry Germans rebelled because they couldn’t obey the decisions other countries made. Since they couldn’t afford all the damages, they let Adolph Hitler to be in control along with a huge army. That is the start of the World War II. Basically, the idea of peace was broken. The war did not end, but it brought bigger war. I think this is very similar with what happened at the Lord of the Flies. Even though the World War II is over, there are some people who think that World War III will start soon. I think I also can relate this to the novel because the mistreatments towards North Korea made the North Koreans angry. Since North Korea is developing nuclear weapons, I agree that the World War III will soon occur. I think I should start praying before what we read in the Lord of the Flies won’t replay.

Question #1

What is the major theme of this novel?

Why is this theme important to a teenager living in 2007?

I think the major theme of this novel is “Face your fear.” This really stuck in mind as I read the novel. In the context, when one of the little ‘uns said that there is a huge snake, almost everyone was in fear. I thought there was really a snake at first, but as time passed, bigger monsters appeared and I then realized that all the monsters they said are actually their fear. There weren’t any creatures at the island, but they just made it up because of their fear. Basically, they feared at nothing but themselves. I really felt sympathy about that. If I’m alone at home, I keep on getting this feeling that I’m being watched. Also, I get this creepy feeling that I’m keep on hearing something. Without any hesitation, I imagine myself, kidnapped and tortured by strangers whenever I hear something. I think this theme is very important to every teenagers living in 2007. Teenagers especially have more fear than anyone. We all feel unsafe, sad, anticipated at this age time. That is why so many teenagers commit suicide. They always feel gloomy and unsecured about their lives. I want all teenagers to feel safe. If they don’t feel that way, serious consequences that happened in the novel might also happen in the real life. So it is super crucial for teenagers to get rid of their fear. Life is too short just to terrify. “Face your fear!” Rainbow always appears after thunderstorms and harsh rains^^.

Question #8

Put entry of your choice.

I want to connect the novel Animal Farm with the Russian Revolution. Animal farm is based on communist society. The Russian Revolution is also based on communism. When animals declared rebellion on Mr. Jones, it reminded me when the citizens of Russia decided to get rid of the monarch. The citizens thought that monarch was not fair since only the king and queen families had power, wealth, and loyalty. So they rebelled just like the animals did to Mr. Jones. The animals attacked Mr. Jones and expelled him from the farm. So the democratic Manor Farm changed into communistic Animal Farm. For the Russian Revolution, the Soviet Union (or the USSR) was created in Russia to rule. In the novel, Snowbell, Napoleon and Squealer were the ruler just like the Soviet Union. Unfortunately, after the deportation of Snowbell, Napoleon started to corrupt by their power-hunger. They even changed the seven commandments by their will. Also, the show trial in the novel is related to the hilarious show trial that was made during the Communism. The Soviet Union first gained all the control of Russia, but later, because they over-used their power, they start to collapse. For the Animal Farm, the pigs acted as if they were humans. They wore clothes, they walked in two legs, and they ate foods that us humans eat. They were totally corrupted. I think George Orwell wants to show us and even teach us some consequences of a society with rulers like pigs in his novel.

Question #7

Are there any settings in this novel which you have found to be beautiful?

or disturbing? or memorable?

Describe these settings and comment on why they were meaningful to you.

A little country that has many farms (including the Animal Farm) in London is the beautiful and memorable setting of the story to me. There is not a lot of setting in the story, but the farm itself is a good one. In the novel, you can find out that there are at least three farms around. Imagining a little old town containing few farms, with varieties of animals and plants at that time just make me smile. All those different stores, shops and public places are good enough to make me want to go inside the book and travel around. Because this is a story that is long ago, it helps me to imagine the town even better. I always wanted to try living at a country because it just seems so fun. Growing different animals will be so exiting if they don’t rebel against meJ. Since I love country, this whole setting of story is meaningful. The windmill, henhouse, dog house, stable… they all look so friendly and cozy. They are so grandparent-tic. Even if the story is not as friendly and cozy, I think the setting was comfortable. It’s kind of ironic because in the farm, there are slaughtering, slavery, selfishness and hunger while the background seems so peaceful and quiet. If a stranger came while the take-over of the animals, he/she would not have been able to figure out the horrible acts of pigs until they hear it from someone. Like that, the setting of this novel is very warm. You can just feel the love by its setting.

Question #6

Please choose one passage from the novel that is significant to you.

Why is this passage meaningful?

Please type it into one of your entries and comment on what you think about the passage.

But Benjamin pushed her aside and in the midst of a deadly silence he read: ‘”Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, Willingdon. Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. Kennels Supplied.” Do you not understand what that means? They are taking Boxer to the knacker’s!’

This passage was a shock to me. Boxer was the one that worked hardest. He didn’t quiet rest, but he always worked. He worked for the animals so that they can have better life. He carried stones, he planted crops, and he did the hardest job of all! Boxer even worked after getting injured. He knew that he was getting weaker, but he worked hard. I thought that Napoleon and Squealer will make him retire and rest for the rest of his life. But instead, they sold Boxer to a horse slaughter. I was totally shocked. I mean, how can they possibly do that to Boxer?! The next part was even worse. Pigs lied to the animals that Boxer died peacefully in a hospital. That was like nonsense. I can’t understand why the animals trust them so much. This passage was meaningful to me because at this point, I started to really hate those fatty pigs. I disliked those pigs when they had trial (when they killed the animals), and I dreadfully hated those pigs at this point. I even thought of slaughtering Napoleon and Squealer myself and eat their fatty flesh all by myself. I had the most energetic hatred at this point, so I think this passage was most significant to me.

Question #5

What is the mood of this novel?

What happens?

How do the events of this novel make you feel?

The mood of this novel is constraining. It's rather gloomy and dark than humorous and bright. This novel can be interesting because of the idea that animals can talk. Also, the ruling of pigs (in the real World, pigs are presented as stupidest animal of all), and the rebellion made by animals might lead the readers into the book. But it's more informative since the main idea of this novel is 'rebellion'. It gives us idea of communism and its consequences. I think this book can be a great example for students who want to learn about communism. I also connected this novel with the Russian Revolution. When Old major made a fantastic speech about rebellion, I felt like shouting “Go, animals! You can be on top of humans!” I was actually on the animal’s side. But when Napoleon and Squealer started to rule over human and rule over animals, I frowned. I was so angry because not only they were selfish, but they acted as if they were gods. This book makes me think of the society deeper. Before I read this book, I didn't really know why people say that communism is so bad when everyone can have equal rights. But I then realized that someone who has more power, wisdom, and bravery will try to be on top of the others. So as a result, gaps will be crated between people with power and people who have less power. That might cause another rebellion. In my opinion, this book is a really good reference about communism.

Question #4

What is the climax of this novel?

What happens?

How do the events of this novel make you feel?

The climax of this story is when Napoleon first broke one of the seven commandments they had. It was the fourth commandment he first tempts to change that said “No animal shall sleep in a bed.” But Napoleon changed it into “No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.” I think this is the point-of-no-return. This little change made Napoleon to change the whole seven commandments to his will. Also, this is the point when the readers start to doubt what kind of animal Napoleon really is. At first, I really liked Napoleon and all the other animals. I cheered for them, and I wished that they can really get this farm going. But as soon as Napoleon revel his real character at this point, I started to dislike him. The whole idea of bright, loving, and amusing animal farm suddenly turned into a mysterious whodunit. These events of the novel make me feel sympathetic. I know I’m a seventeen years old teenager, but I still believe that animals can actually think. So I really felt sympathetic when the animals failed on maintaining a good animal farm. They failed like the humans expected. I feel like no matter how hard they try, they’ll always crawl under us. That’s what makes me feel so sorry for the animals. I was hoping that the animals will succeed in taking charge of the big farm. But since it failed like that, I’m kind of disappointed. Well, on the other hand, I’m glad that I’m a human.

Question #3

Who are the main characters in the novel?

Do you like them? Why or why not?

What is special about them?

What do they reveal about the universal human experience?

Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer are the main characters of the novel. Although this novel does not really have a main character. All of the animals in the story are the main characters. But since those three pigs do the main roles in the novel, I chose them to be the main characters. I personally like Snowball because I think he was a great leader. The War of Cowshed was a great success under Snowball’s instruction. Also, the seven commandments were made by Snowball. I don’t believe that Snowball is the spy from Mr. Jones. I think that it was just a plot to entrap Snowball because Snowball is right. That leads that I’m not generous about Napoleon and Squealer. First of all, I hate Napoleon because he said wrong things about Snowball. Also, Napoleon was the one who was keep changing the commandments. Also, he slaughtered so many animals using his power. He was selfish since he ate all the good stuffs when other animals were starving. Napoleon slaved other animals, and he behaved like a human later. I hate Squealer too because he was a spokesperson (or spokesanimal) of Napoleon. He also benefited from Napoleon, so I hate him. All three pigs were leaders. They ruled among other animals, and animals served them as their leaders so that made the pigs to be special. If you think closer, you can find out that these pigs are similar to us humans. If you look at some public officials, there are some people who take what’s good only for them just like Napoleon and Squealer did. Also, they try to drop the right one. Fortunately, there are some officials who make good decisions for people. This book really relates to the real life in so many different ways.

Question #2

Are there any current situations in the world that relate to the novel?

What are they, and how do they relate?

Does the novel shed any light on how current situations could be resolved for "fixed"?

There is a current situation that relates to the novel in France. There was a ‘decolonization’ process done in Africa, oddly leaving the former colonies to depend on the French Bank for their monetary policymarking. After the process, the colonized were supposed to offer life in France. But actually, the French only gave them cheap houses. Also, French gave them very little money so they can keep things quiet. Well obviously, the immigrated people didn’t keep things quiet. They became what the people say ‘riots’. They bombed cars, fired places, made violent acts, and destroyed public goods. This is a rebellion made by the African workers. They worked hard to keep France open by corner shops and laborious industrial night shift. But France ignored their needs and just went with their own lives. In the novel, animals too worked their best to keep us humans going. They worked on the field, carried heavy things, provided us food and made Mr. and Mrs. Jones entertaining, but they never thought about them in their shoes. So the animals rebelled, wanting to be centered. I think both the African workers and animals felt left-behind or not acknowledged by others. For the Animal Farm, I think the best way to save all other poor animals from Napoleon and Squealer’s hand is to wish for the humans to take over that farm. Not by power, but by convincing them. Humans should tell what they did wrong to the animals except the pigs. They said all dogs died, so they can rebel against those fatty pigs. Humans need to make them understand their situation. If we succeed in persuading the animals, the cruel pigs will be persecuted, bringing peace to everyone else.

Question #1

What is the major theme of this novel?

Why is this theme important to a teenager living in 2007?

The major theme of this story is ‘choose your leader wisely’. The animals at first should have chosen one leader instead of three because it will surely cause a fight among power. Or, the animals should have asked for their right. In the novel, the animals didn’t seem to have any right. For example, when the hens rebelled against the idea of selling eggs, Napoleon didn’t even intend to listen. He just ignored and waited until they gave up. I especially couldn’t understand Boxer. Boxer is the strongest animal through out the farm, and unlike other weak animals, he can kill the dogs and send them to death. But instead, Boxer obeyed every word from Napoleon, thinking that Napoleon is the right one. Horses are so stupid! Because the animals didn’t think about the consequences, they are now totally in control. So I think it’s really important to choose your leader wisely. If they had Snowball for their leader from the first place, they wouldn’t be in this disaster. They might have bigger farm, more animals, plenty of food, and bags of money. This theme is important to a teenager living in 2007 because nowadays, they choose whoever is good-looking, appealing, or plausible. But they have to learn how to choose a leader who is able to make right decisions, wise, and someone who puts others above themselves. This is especially important when choosing a president. Since president is a job that is the most important and most difficult, we need to make the right choice. Or else, we might end up being in a farm just like the animals.